Justin Herbert opens up about his leadership style, talented teammates, Super Bowl aspirations, and more

While he makes it look easy, Justin Herbert’s journey to the NFL has been anything but. As a high school junior, Herbert suffered a broken leg that ultimately limited his scholarship offers. At Oregon, Herbert suffered a broken collarbone that prematurely ended his sophomore season. Injuries aside, Herbert had to learn three different offseason schemes while at Oregon. And despite enjoying enormous success at Oregon that included a Rose Bowl victory over Wisconsin, unsupported questions about his leadership possibly played a role in Herbert being the third quarterback selected in the 2020 NFL Draft. 

Leaning on four principles he learned from his father who also served as his coach growing up, Herbert hurdled those obstacles and is currently living out his childhood dream. As the starting quarterback for the team he grew up cheering for, Herbert enjoyed a highly decorated rookie season that saw him named Offensive Rookie of the Year. The 23-year-old has followed up last year’s success with a strong start to the 2021 season. HIs early success has helped the Chargers get off to a 4-2 start. Los Angeles is coming off its bye week and will look to move to 5-2 with a win over the Patriots on Sunday. 

During the Chargers’ break, Herbert sat down with CBS Sports to discuss his journey to the NFL, what sport he would play professionally other than football, and why he grew up a Chargers fan, among other topics. Herbert also spoke about his partnership with Team Milk and the importance milk plays in his life as a professional athlete. 

You had not one but two serious injuries during your prep and college careers. What did those experiences teach you about perseverance and overcoming obstacles? 

“You learn a lot from not being able to play. Breaking a femur and breaking a collarbone and having to sit on the sideline and not being able to play, not be able to be out with your guys, is…